Technologia: A travel log of Zangarmarsh in the World of Warcraft

By Mark Kaelin

The Burning Crusade, the first expansion to the ever-popular World of Warcraft, contains many strange new lands for players to explore. After questing in the Hellfire Peninsula, the next most likely place for adventuring is the area known as Zangarmarsh. If you like wetlands, exotic wildlife, and especially psychotropic mushrooms, then Zangarmarsh is your perfect place. Elkwinkarma, leader of Technologia, the official unofficial guild of TechRepublic, took some screenshots during some of his exploits with other members of the Technologia guild.

Zangarmarsh - Courtesy of WorldofWar.net

A map of Zangarmarsh from the cartography department on the WorldofWar.net Web site.

Cenarion Refuge

Just down the hill as you enter Zangarmarsh from the Hellfire Peninsula is the Cenarion Refuge. It is a safe haven enclave with several good quests.

Trees and bears

The Cenarion faction is big on druid lore, but even an undead Warlock knows the benefit of a safe area.

Strider

Zangarmarsh is home to some very exotic and strange wildlife. That's a Fen Strider in the distance.

Mushrooms

Fungus is the dominating life form in Zangarmarsh. Does anyone remember the art rock band Yes in their heyday of the late 1960s. Feel the colors, man!

Dead mire

One of the first quests you'll find in Zangarmarsh involves the area known as The Dead Mire. You will find mobs here that remind you of Swamp Thing.

Dozark joined Elkwinkarma on this quest.

Pets rule

Elkwinkarma is a Warlock and Dozark is a Hunter. Both classes are beholden to their pets.

Arrrraaaaagggghhh!

This soon to be dead mob reminded me of a gag in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Wasp

Pest control is a major theme of the quest givers in Zangarmarsh. This is sort of a wasp, bee, lightning-bug all in one creature.

Scouting

In one quest, which turns out to be both easy and fun, a druid in Cenarion Refuge turns you into a raven so you can scout the activity of the evil Darkcrest Naga.

Looking back

Here is a good example of the strangeness found in Zangarmarsh -- mushrooms compared to the crystal trees of Terokkar Forest.

Instance area

One prominent feature of Zangarmarsh is this pumping station created by the Darkcrest Naga. They are slowly sucking the water and the energy out of the marshland. If you are adventurous enough you can find out the extent and purpose of their plans.

Player versus player

Control of this area is in constant contention between the Horde and the Alliance. Capturing it for the Horde, even for a few minutes, can lead to bountiful rewards.

Choose an instance

Underneath the pumping station, which can only be reached by swimming hundreds of feet deep into Serpent Lake, reveals several instance dungeons.

Mysteries

No one really knows how this cavern beneath the lake came to be.

And more mysteries

Or what its purpose may be.

Spores

On the western edge of Zangarmarsh you will find the Sporeggars hard at work growing mushrooms.

Sunset on the edge of the world

There is nothing west of here -- just the flowing nether.

Hello my baby!

One of the more humorous quests requires you to release baby murlocs in Daggerfen Village. Daggerfen residents are aligned with evil forces in Zangarmarsh.

The murlocs start to do the Michigan Rag like the old Warner Brothers' cartoon, complete with top hat. That drives the Daggerfen away screaming in fear.

Count Ungula

Count Ungula is an overgrown spore bat. His tail fascinates one of the local residents.

Bog Lords

These once peaceful creatures have become highly aggressive and dangerous. It seems their food supply is dwindling. In a quest you discover why.

Strider on the march

Striders make no sound so they are constantly sneaking up on you.

Zabra&apos;jin

The trolls, always friends to the Horde, have made themselves right at home in Zangarmarsh.

Ah-ha!

Ogres -- bad things start to happen when Ogres infest an area. Could they be the cause of some of the Zangarmarsh trouble.

Campgrounds

A trip to the Ogre camp seems in order. Too bad they don't like strangers -- all I wanted to do was talk.

Overlord Gorefist

Overlord Gorefist refuses to be reasonable in typical Orge fashion, so Elkwinkarama has to "fix" the problem with an attitude adjustment.

Not Sigmund

With a name like Serpent Lake you would expect there to be some serpent monsters.

Coilfang Reservoir

Looking up at the vortex spiraling above Coilfang Reservoir you have to wonder where it is going.

Funggor Cavern

Dozark and Elkwinkarma take care of some business in Funggor Cavern. After dispatching some bullies the Sporeggar people embrace us as friends.

Another strider

I'm telling you they are sneaky.

Mushroom skyline

Grilled Portobello mushrooms -- that's what I think of when I see this Zangarmarsh skyline.

New friends

After helping them in their mushroom growing operation and Ogre problem, the Sporeggar invite us to their village.

Cheap stuff

It turns out the Sporeggars have some cool equipment and all they want in return are mushrooms.

Trees and bears

The Cenarion faction is big on druid lore, but even an undead Warlock knows the benefit of a safe area.

About Mark Kaelin

Mark Kaelin is a CBS Interactive Senior Editor for TechRepublic. He is the host for the Microsoft Windows and Office blog, the Google in the Enterprise blog, the Five Apps blog and the Big Data Analytics blog.

Full Bio

Mark Kaelin is a CBS Interactive Senior Editor for TechRepublic. He is the host for the Microsoft Windows and Office blog, the Google in the Enterprise blog, the Five Apps blog and the Big Data Analytics blog.

I know TechReplublic probably don't want to start a WoW thread, but then again they published this so...
Question - I'm a Lvl 33 Warlock, and love my Voidwalker in the face of criticism from many that the imp is better etc. I note you are using the 'Voidy' here - any comments about that one way or another?

Speaking from experience - this is my third Warlock - if you are concentrating on the Affliction talent tree or use a hybrid talent structure like I do, the Voidwalker is your best solo pet. The VW taunts and holds aggro long enough for me to get all my DOTs cast and then begin to Drain Life. At that point the mob may aggro on me but I don't care because I can Drain Life faster than it can hit me.
I agree with some of the other advice I see in this thread that Imp or Succubus pets are generally better for group situations.
I also want to suggest that the beauty of the Warlock and many classes in the World of Warcraft is their versatility. There is no absolute "right" way to play any character. That is one of the tenets of Technologia - the guild does not decide how you talent spec, you do.
There are many players and guilds who will tell you how to play your character, but you don't have play that way - at least not when you are in our guild.
Good luck with your Warlock. You can check out my build etc. in the Armory:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/geekend/?p=562http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/?#guild-info.xml?r=Duskwood&n=Technologia&p=1

You must be teh alliance n00bage.
Sheesh, what you think this is some kinda wow nerd-zone? Next you'll be complaining about Tuesday Maintenance or excessive lag-spikes in Shadow Labyrinth.
And everyone knows Succubi make better lovers.
Get a life before it all melts!

Well I ground a lock in the old system to 60 using affliction spec & a void. When grouped the tank should be TANKING I.E. the request for the imp which is for more health. That's why they want you to use the IMP. If your tank is bad keep your voidwalker out to protect yourself.
Sorry I'm truly a geek. Hah